I adored this book. It literally brought me to tears. It's a beautiful story of second chances. I love Jeneva books, thrillers and others.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and Jeneva Rose for the ARC via NetGalley.
5/5 Stars!
Jeneva Rose truly delivers excellence with every book, and this one was no exception. An emotional rollercoaster full of nostalgia, it even brought me to tears.
After a breakup and losing her job, Alexis wakes up in her old college town in 2002, convinced she's been sent back to change her future. This book was a hilariously heartwarming, binge-worthy read that I devoured in one sitting.
Alexis (and her younger self, Lexi) are incredibly relatable, and their interactions, initially wild, lead to admirable emotional growth and self-reflection. It's fascinating to see how the characters in young Lexi's life shaped her future.
Tropes: Time travel, dual timelines, second chances, self-discovery, emotional healing.
Don't skip the acknowledgments—they offer a deeper understanding of Jeneva Rose's writing. This beautifully written, nostalgic book hits you right in the heart. If you love emotional fiction with a magical or sci-fi twist, add this to your TBR immediately!

Holy nostalgia! If you were born in the 90's, The Girl I Was will hit you right in the feels. The pages are oozing with 2000's pop culture... from the music and fashion to the slang everyone was using. It's a nostalgic time capsule that instantly transported me back to my childhood.

Speaking of time capsule...

The Girl I Was is about Alexis, a 30-something-year-old woman, who has not accomplished anything in life and blames the world for her problems. She lives her life by inspirational quotes that have only steered her wrong. After self-sabotaging her engagement, she finds herself mysteriously transported back to 2003. Believing she’s been given a second chance to fix her past and reshape her present, Alexis is forced to confront her younger self... and her own choices.

This book is a fast-paced, emotional rollercoaster packed with raw truths about growing up the weight of decisions made in youth, and how much of life lies outside our control. It's also a powerful reflection on how we respond, heal, and grow from those pivotal moments. This was originally going to be a 4-star read for me, but the ending had me unexpectedly emotional and all in my feels, bumping it up to a solid 5 star read! This is a book that will stick with me for a long time!

✨Time travel
✨Self-reflection
✨Self-Sabotage
✨Accountability
✨Friendships
✨Second chances
✨Loss
✨Connections with others
✨Mental health
✨Redemption

This book is being re-released July 15! Being Jeneva's first self-published novel, she has made revisions and added 6 new chapters!

Thank you to #NetGalley for this ARC!

Not Jeneva Rose’s usual thriller, but I really enjoyed this heartfelt time-travel story. After hitting rock bottom, Alexis wakes up in 2002 with a chance to rewrite her past—literally face-to-face with her younger self. The early 2000s nostalgia was a fun touch, and the mix of humor and emotion made it a memorable, reflective read. A great pivot that still delivers Rose’s signature insight into personal growth.

The Girl I Was is a sharp, nostalgic, and surprisingly heartfelt time-travel dramedy that delivers both humor and emotional resonance. Jeneva Rose masterfully weaves early-2000s pop culture with a deeply introspective journey, as present-day Alexis is forced to reckon with her chaotic, impulsive younger self. Watching Alexis and Lexi clash, bond, and ultimately confront their shared disappointments and hopes makes for an engaging, binge-worthy read that feels both wildly fun and deeply relatable. Fans of 13 Going on 30 and Freaky Friday will love this fresh twist on second chances and self-forgiveness.

I wanted to root for Alexis, I really did. But I just hated her so so very much. it’s hard when the protagonist self-describes (and proves, repeatedly) that she’s mastered a conflict style that combines avoidance with quick-to-anger rashness—and considers that the full extent of her communication degree’s usefulness. Add to that the line “I am, without fail, emotional and impulsive in almost all situations,” and you start to understand the core frustration: Alexis is a narrator who knows exactly what her issues are but takes zero responsibility for changing them.

The writing is engaging and the story has momentum, but Alexis’s refusal to grow or reflect makes large portions of this book feel like watching someone willfully self-sabotage—and then expect applause for surviving it. It’s like a case study in self-awareness.

Alexis is a selfish person who doesn’t really see anything good in life. She’s engaged to the man of her dreams but doesn’t put effort into the relationship. She was just fired from her job. She thinks the universe owes her and that everything will be okay no matter what happens. She quickly learns that action have consequences and everything will not be okay if you will it. She is transported back in time and meets her younger self. There’s self discovery. Loved it!

This book was beautifully written and I loved every second of it. It was a nice difference from the author’s usual work.

"The hardest things to admit are the ones we have to admit to ourselves. I know now that I was the problem, but I also know I am the solution. There's still time for me to change. Still time to make things better."

Jeneva is republishing The Girl I Was, and I was lucky enough to receive an ARC! I didn’t read the original version, but I’ve heard great things about the changes she made, and now I completely understand why.
This book isn’t her usual murder mystery. It felt more like a heartwarming chick flick, and I really enjoyed the shift in tone. It was a fast read and the perfect palette cleanser between heavier books.

Have you ever felt like life isn’t turning out the way you imagined? Or wished you could go back and give your younger self some advice or see people you miss? If so, this story will hit home. I loved the dual POV and watching both versions of the main character grow and learn from each other. It was touching, emotional, and full of meaningful lessons.

If you loved movies like 13 Going on 30 or Freaky Friday, this book gives off those same nostalgic, reflective vibes.

my girl! This book was amazing! 10/10 5⭐️I haven’t read anything like this before and loved it! One of my favorite Jeneva books for sure! It follows Alexsis from 2016 back to 2002 where she's trying to convince her 18 year old self to change her life. This book was amazing and is going to live rent free in my head for a long time.

Jeneva never disappoints! I am so happy to have read this revised version of her first book. She’s come so far in her career and I always look forward to everything she writes!

This story will pull you in and tug on your heartstrings. Our main characters is so perfectly flawed & has such a nice character arc. I love the elements of time travel, it makes this book so unique.

Congrats to Jeneva on another amazing book!

**Positive Review:**

✨🌀 *Hilarious, Heartfelt, and Totally 2000s* 🌀✨

*This time-traveling twist on self-discovery is as clever as it is cathartic.* In Alexis Spencer's chaotic, relatable journey back to her college days, readers are treated to a funny, nostalgic, and surprisingly emotional story about regret, growth, and the messy path to self-acceptance.

The dynamic between Alexis and her younger self, Lexi, is the heart of the novel—equal parts cringe, comedy, and gut-punch truth. Watching the two versions of one woman clash, connect, and ultimately learn from each other is both wildly entertaining and deeply moving. Early 2000s references add an extra layer of charm (flip phones! low-rise jeans! AIM drama!), but it’s the emotional depth that lingers.

Perfect for fans of *13 Going on 30* and *In Five Years*, this novel is a reminder that it’s never too late to rewrite your story—even if it means literally arguing with your past self. Yet another phenomenal title from Jeneva Rose!

Witty, wise, and wonderfully original. A total gem.

Loved the story of Alexis and Lexi. A lot of it was sooooo nostalgic which gave me warm fuzzies from cover to cover. I was moved by the impact Alexis had on Lexi’s family/friends and vice versa, and was ESPECIALLY moved reading the acknowledgment. (Finish the book first though! Spoiler alert!)
Absolutely loved this and will recommend.

I just finished the book and loved it. I wasn't sure where the sorry was going and it kept me guessing the whole book. I had a little cry and it made me really think about my life. Very fast and easy read. Highly recommend.

This was such a fun read. I couldn't believe how insufferable the main character was at the beginning of this book! But she quickly turned around and became much more tolerable 😆 It was fun to go back to the early 2000s. It definitely brought back some more memories of growing up in that time period. Also growing up near Oshkosh was fun. It was like I was put inside the story! This book kept me engaged and wanting more throughout the whole thing. I couldn't wait to find out if she turned her life around or ended up stuck in the early 2000s!

I loved this book! It will have you in tears by the end. It will also make you laugh out loud. I really liked how the author made us care about all the characters not just the main characters.
Definitely a fun read!

8/10

If you are looking at this book just because the author is Jeneva Rose and you lover her thrillers like The Perfect Marriage, the first thing you should know is that this book is nothing like them. This is not a thriller, it is a general/literary fiction novel (you could argue sci-fi given the "time travel" aspect but it is definitely not what you think of when you hear the words sci-fi so I would still classify it as general fiction). Now if that isn't a deal breaker for you then I would definitely encourage reading The Girl I Was

The Girl I Was is a well done work of fiction that trades the usual suspenseful, fast paced, thriller that Jeneva Rose normally writes for an insightful story about growing up, loss, accountability, friendship, and more. At the beginning all of the characters may seem to be surface level, but as the book goes on we learn more about all of them that flushes them out as people, to both us as the reader, as well as to the other characters in the book. Life lessons are often taught side by side with good humor and a healthy dose of early 2000's nostalgia in a way that makes things extremely fun to read, even while tackling difficult topics or motifs.

munch munch munch
because I ate this up
5 stars
( thanks netgalley for the arc )

this book was so bingeable it was insane I couldn't put it down ( hence why I'm writing this at 5am )(ooops sorry mumxx )
it was such a unique concept with such a good plot andi loved the mothers always know line ( it broke meeee )
and one thing can really change anything in you're life and I hope this never happens to me ( My biggest fear ngl )

Alexis loses her job and her boyfriend all in one day. She has no relationship with her family, and she's lost touch with her closes friends. But instead of taking responsibility for how her life has turned out, she tells herself "whatever will be, will be." Feeling sorry for herself, she finds a bottle of vodka from her college days and decides to wallow in her sorrow. When she blacks out and wakes up the next day, she finds out she has been transported back in time to her college town in 2002. The only way of finding her way back to the present is to connect with her younger self and fix her mistakes.

What would you tell your younger self if you had the chance to meet him/her? This is exactly what happens to Alexis. Her younger self (Lexi) is a party girl who doesn't take college seriously and barely pays attention to those around her. The story is told through the perspectives of both Alexis and Lexi. They both find fault in one another and blame each other for how their life has turned out. I found the beginning a little slow, but once they began to work together to figure out a path forward, the story got better. I ended up really enjoying the story as Alexis began to realize what changes needed to be made in her life. It was nostalgic to go back in time to the early 2000s and made me think of what my own life would be like if I had the chance to go back and make some changes. This was not the typical Jeneva Rose story, but it was very heartfelt and humorous.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was so excited to be approved for a book written by Jeneva Rose, and even more so when I learned that it was not going to be her typical genre.

Have you ever wanted to go back in time and tell your past self all of the ways you've gone wrong?

This book resonated with me on so many different levels. The desire to get a do- over. The wish to be able to see a loved one, one last time. The self reflection to try to figure out where things went wrong.

The part where Lexi and Alexis went home for Thanksgiving was heartwrenching and bittersweet, easily my favorite part of the story.

This was a quick read and very well written. Would love to see more like this from Jeneva Rose.

What a remarkable departure from Jeneva Rose’s signature thrillers! And as her first novel, and an absolute triumph in its own right. Blending slice of life storytelling with time travel and soft sci-fi elements, this novel is as emotionally resonant as it is compulsively readable. I found myself sneaking in pages between emails at work, completely unwilling to put it down. And yes, it made me ugly cry at my desk. So, thank you for that, Jeneva.

What truly sets this story apart is the stunning character work. Rose doesn’t just show us one character at two stages of life, she builds two fully realized versions of the same woman, layered with heartbreak, hope, and hindsight. It’s a rare feat pulled off with nuance and authenticity.

This isn’t just a great book from a great writer, this is a story that stays with you, asking big questions about identity, choices, and the person you were versus the person you’re becoming. If you’re looking for something moving, thought provoking, and beautifully crafted, The Girl I Was delivers.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Jeneva Rose, and Harper Collins Publishing for the ARC. All opinions are my own.